Kinks to reform?

Today's Guardian newspaper (UK);

"Dave Davies once claimed that when his brother Ray stamped on his 50th birthday cake, it ended any chance of the Kinks reforming for ever. He has called his older brother toxic, and an arsehole. Ray snarled of his younger brother: "I don't know what his problem is, apart from pride." Dave said: "I don't want to see the legacy of the Kinks soured by two miserable old men doing it for the money." Ray said: "Some people say he's a jumped-up upstart, but I say: take him as you find him." The next move is obvious: reform the Kinks.

"I met Dave only last week to talk about getting back together again," Ray told the Sunday Times. Even their meeting was historic: for years the brothers have communicated almost entirely by email.

The band, formed in 1964, released a string of some of the best-loved hits in British musical history, including Waterloo Sunset, Sunny Afternoon, Lola, Dead End Street and You Really Got Me, and last played together in 1996. Long before then their rows, reputedly including punchups in the back of the tour bus, were legendary. The arc of the band towards what appeared to be a crash landing in a dead end was recently traced in Sunny Day, a Hampstead Theatre musical now set for a West End transfer: Ray was involved with both script and the music, but Dave apparently saw and liked it.

Among the hurled insults, both brothers have recognised that their musical partnership produced something extraordinary. In an Observer interview in 2011, Ray said: "When we were together, it was aggressive, violent, powerful, but we triggered off each other. We don't see each other much, but this morning I found two songs we recorded together at my house on my computer. It's unforgettable, his sound."

Fans will rejoice at the news that the sound may soon be heard again."

 

Surprised this hasn't got a little more discussion here whether it ultimately happens or not.

 

There's two other threads going about this. That's where all the talk is.

But aside from that, Kinks fans have heard rumblings of a "reunion" for some time now. Until tour dates are announced, I take all of this talk with a pillar of salt.

 

It's over, it's just hard for them to let go.

 

Although this time it sounds friendlier it just seems like there's some sort of rumor every 4 months and it comes to nothing. I also tend to be an agist with old rock artists/bands so I'll happily stick with my memories from '85.

 

Oh my god.

 

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/dave-davies-odds-of-a-kinks-tour-in-2014-are-50-50.330056/

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/kinks-reunion-inches-closer-to-fruition.338909/

 

So the Grardian now says the band IS reforming, but doesn't have any quotes to back it up. At least they've replaced the photo with Pete Quaife in it.

 

Well - are they?

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/aug/28/ray-davies-denies-kinks-reform-2015-dave-davies

 

How many threads on this same topic do we need?

 

ain't going to happen....and i think its cause of money reasons...they simply wouldn't draw big in the USA... kind of like why Faces never made it back here on their reunion...

Ray will continue playing clubs and doing more than well....Dave will play the smaller clubs...

 

Only one way to stop the threads! Ray and Dave - are YOU listening?

 

here is a new interview with Ray ! no get together ! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...I-cant-play-as-The-Kinks-Sunny-Afternoon.html

 

Hopefully they won t get together. Would hate to see one of the best bands ever do something that-I guess-would not be very good. Their legacy speaks fot itself- let it stay that way

 

An industry friend of mine who worked with one of the Davies brothers a few months ago is under the impression (from talking to him) that both Ray and Dave have mended their relationship and not so much for the sake of a potential reunion, but to move forward as brothers should. Also, the stories about Mick Avory not getting along with Dave are true, the reason he left the group in the 80s was due to internal conflict between them both. However, Mick seems to be the most enthusiastic about a full-on Kinks reunion, even more than Ray and Dave at this point. While it's true that Ray and Mick could re-form a group without Dave and call themselves The Kinks, I doubt Ray would be willing to jeopardize the relationship he has worked so hard to heal with Dave and especially this late in life. Not to mention, Ray wouldn't want to taint the artistic legacy of The Kinks as a band.

Both artists are remaining realistic about the situation and have had their management analyze the details of a prospective reunion for 2015. It's a major decision and they definitely deserve to have some breathing room.

Scenario #1 - Ray and Dave decide to take baby steps and collaborate on a non-Kinks project.
Scenario #2- Ray and Dave invite Mick to join them for one or a few live appearances, billed either as The Kinks or just credited to their names.
Scenario #3- Ray Dave and Mick would reunite for a full-on reunion tour, billed as The Kinks.

 

Scenario #4 - keep taking potshots at each other in the press and nothing eventuates

 

That is untrue; legally, only Ray and Dave could call themselves The Kinks; Ray and Mick can't, Dave and Mick can't.

 

Exactly. They would never do that. Neither Ray nor Dave would want that and I doubt most of the fans would either. Also, there was a recent article printed in Mojo magazine where it states a Kinks reunion would "happen with or without Dave." As both Ray and Dave are aware, the writer of that article jumped the gun and it seems slightly manipulative to say the least. Ray was clearly misquoted and responded by denying ever making that statement. Dave's response was that he is still interested in a possible Kinks reunion "in some form."

At this point and instead of a full-on reunion, I'd rather see everyone encourage Ray and Dave to continue spending time with each other, while furthering the healing process. If something were to happen to either of the brothers, I would hate for the other to spend the rest of his life feeling regret for not making things right.

 

I feel that 2015 may be the year we see The Kinks onstage. Certainly Dave is keen (I don't know Ray but I know Dave.) Whoever is on drums is not that significant (especially as a lot of their songs were recorded with session drummers) but I would love to see Ray, Dave, Mick, John Dalton and John Gosling as the nucleus of a live act- this was, after all the line-up that toured in 1969-70.

 

The reason why Mick Avory left the Kinks during the recording of Word Of Mouth was that Dave Davies "fired" him - according to the booklet of the reissues of the album - although in more detail there were rumours of Dave leaving, he wasn't turning up to all sessions, he unilaterally cancelled a US tour by refusing to go and gave an ultimatum to Ray that it was either him or Mick to leave. Ray had to break the news to Mick.

Two years later, Mick played on Dave's Rock and Roll Cities on Think Visual and was invited back into the band, but he declined. Nowadays it seems that Mick/Dave don't talk, although they are in email contact. And as Ray says in the Telegraph interview, Dave won't currently play with Mick. Although given the apparent on/off nature of their relationship, it could change.

As I've also posted before there's also the matter of a bass player and keyboard player and all the other ex-Kinks are very much in Mike's camp as members of the Kast-Off Kinks.

 

i think Mick was on the records from 1966 wasn't he ?. Live clips from 64 to 66 don't reveal him as being a bad drummer. Maybe Dave would let him back in if they opened the tour at the Capitol Theatre in Cardiff and Mick let Dave smack him round the head with the hi-hat and then they could shake hands and get on with it (after a quick visit to the hospital).
I would disagree that it is not significant who plays drums. The drummer Buffalo Springfield used on it's reunion was probably technically great but boring as hell with no feel for the music. boom whack boom whack metronome stuff. Dreadful. Not the first time this has happened with a band reunion. ( I'd be alright if Clem Burke drummed for them though.) Unless the band is actually made up of Kinks, it's Ray and Dave Davies present the music of the Kinks.
I'm just happy Ray still does some good shows and Dave has done so brilliantly to fight back from his stroke.

 

I disagree strongly, Dave may be keen to play with Ray, but according to today's interview Ray says "“I really can’t play with my brother as that name, the Kinks, and not have Mick in.”

Only on the first album and a couple of tracks recorded in weeks after the bust up in Cardiff were session drummers used.

John Dalton has been playing in the Kast Off Kinks with Mick for the last 20 years and John Gosling for over 10 years until he retired in 2008 to be replaced by Ian Gibbons. Dave has had nothing whatsoever to do with the band while Ray has appeared with them on several occasions and got them their biggest gig at the Royal Festival Hall.

My impression gained from talking to the Kast Offs is that none of them are that keen to play with Dave, well not until he acts maturely that is.

 

Very true. If The Kinks did reunite, it would create challenges in deciding who fills those gaps. Jim Rodford has been touring with The Zombies as their bassist since 2002 or so when they called themselves Blunstone & Argent. Rodford was also part of the special reunion shows with the band Argent from a few years ago.

 

Ray Davies said the exact same thing (I don't want to do it without Mick and Dave doesn't want to do it with Mick) 10 years ago when asked about a reunion in Uncut in 2004. I guess nothing has changed.

 

Quick heads up, Dave Davies will play at Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show with The Roots tonight.